Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 19 November
Written by November 19 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 19 November 2025:
The sun is out, and we are ready for a day filled with marine adventures. With a bit of south wind coming into the bay, we made our way along the coast towards our Shark cage diving boats. On some of our trips, the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins appeared either towards the beginning or the end of the trip. Due to good visibility around the shark boats, anchored within the Shallows, we got to see both Bronze whaler sharks investigating the cage, but also circling our vessel. Heading towards Pearly Beach, we spotted some Southern Right whales closer to the coast, where some pairs were interacting with one another or just enjoying themselves close to our boat. Around the island system, we spent some time with our Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock before waving goodbye to pay our critically endangered African Penguins on Dyer Island a visit.
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What species did we see today?
African Penguin African Penguin
As one of only 17 penguin species left in the world (and the only one on the african continent), the african penguin often breed in offshore colonies, such as Dyer Island.
Cape fur seal Cape fur seal
With a local population of 60,000, it's no wonder our guests capture so many photographs of these wonderfully playful marine mammals.
Bronze Whaler Shark Bronze Whaler Shark
The Bronze whaler (also known as Copper sharks) here in Kleinbaai are very curious and interactive. These sharks eat mostly fish, with sardines being one of their favourites.
Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin
Humpback dolphins are an endangered species, with small populations living very close to shore, typically in water less than 25m deep and an average home range of 120km. Their proximity to land makes these animals particularly vulnerable to human influence.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
